The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, the statutory application used by citizens to register as new voters, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant observing that the court would examine records to find out who had authorised the changes.
"Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let's be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified," the Chief Justice observed during a hearing before a bench that also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
The observation came while the court was hearing petitions challenging decisions taken by the Election Commission of India during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including pleas seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged unilateral decision-making by the poll body.
At the heart of the row: a new declaration
The controversy centres on an additional declaration attached to the online version of Form 6 for the SIR exercise. The new declaration asks a person applying as a new voter to state whether they, or their parents or grandparents, appeared in the electoral roll prepared during the previous SIR. No such statement was sought in the earlier Form 6 used in the SIR of other states.
The changes had already sparked controversy after it emerged that two Election Commissioners — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — had objected to them on the ground that the form could not be altered without the Union government amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. After reports that the new declaration was implemented despite the objections, the poll panel issued a statement on September 26 asserting that the declaration had been upheld by the Supreme Court in its May 2026 judgment relating to the Bihar SIR.
What the court said on Monday
Responding to concerns raised by Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy about the use of the new Form 6 declaration in the Delhi SIR, the Chief Justice said the modified form had not received the court's approval. The bench declined to pass an interim order on the pleas seeking the suspension of the CEC, but issued notices to Kumar, the poll panel, the Union government, Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi, and Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg.
The Election Commission has maintained that Form 6 itself has not been amended and that it only added an extra declaration for the SIR exercise. Reactions poured in after the hearing, with the Congress leadership accusing the CEC of acting unilaterally — a charge the poll body has not yet formally answered.
Sources:
- Live Law: Modified Form 6 Has Not Been Approved By Supreme Court, CJI Surya Kant
- Scroll: SIR: Supreme Court did not approve modified Form 6, says CJI
- NDTV: Modified Form 6 Not Approved By Supreme Court, Chief Justice Of India Surya Kant
"Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let's be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified," the Chief Justice observed during a hearing before a bench that also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
The observation came while the court was hearing petitions challenging decisions taken by the Election Commission of India during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including pleas seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged unilateral decision-making by the poll body.
At the heart of the row: a new declaration
The controversy centres on an additional declaration attached to the online version of Form 6 for the SIR exercise. The new declaration asks a person applying as a new voter to state whether they, or their parents or grandparents, appeared in the electoral roll prepared during the previous SIR. No such statement was sought in the earlier Form 6 used in the SIR of other states.
The changes had already sparked controversy after it emerged that two Election Commissioners — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — had objected to them on the ground that the form could not be altered without the Union government amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. After reports that the new declaration was implemented despite the objections, the poll panel issued a statement on September 26 asserting that the declaration had been upheld by the Supreme Court in its May 2026 judgment relating to the Bihar SIR.
What the court said on Monday
Responding to concerns raised by Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy about the use of the new Form 6 declaration in the Delhi SIR, the Chief Justice said the modified form had not received the court's approval. The bench declined to pass an interim order on the pleas seeking the suspension of the CEC, but issued notices to Kumar, the poll panel, the Union government, Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi, and Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg.
The Election Commission has maintained that Form 6 itself has not been amended and that it only added an extra declaration for the SIR exercise. Reactions poured in after the hearing, with the Congress leadership accusing the CEC of acting unilaterally — a charge the poll body has not yet formally answered.
Sources:
- Live Law: Modified Form 6 Has Not Been Approved By Supreme Court, CJI Surya Kant
- Scroll: SIR: Supreme Court did not approve modified Form 6, says CJI
- NDTV: Modified Form 6 Not Approved By Supreme Court, Chief Justice Of India Surya Kant
